James Van Der Beek Talks Mocking Himself On ‘… B—- In Apt 23’: I Told Writers Don’t ‘Be Afraid Of Offending Me’

James Van Der Beek isn’t afraid to poke a little fun at himself.

In his latest role on ABC’s “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt 23,” James plays an exaggerated version of himself and takes aim at his “Dawson’s Creek” days.

“Is it true you told the writers, ‘Have as much fun as you want with me – take all the liberties.’ But you have to have the final say, right?” Kit Hoover asked the star on Wednesday’s Access Hollywood Live.

“No,” James laughed. “I just said, ‘Don’t ever be afraid of offending me. Let’s just go for what’s funniest. If you ever go too far I’ll let you know. But we’re not gonna succeed here if you’re afraid to pitch me something because you’re afraid I might take it the wrong way.’”

Though his “… B—- in Apt 23” character feigns annoyance with any “Dawson’s Creek” references, James is comfortable with his small screen past – though he admitted he wasn’t devastated when the show came to an end in 2003.

“It was hard for me just getting out of bed in a way,” he told Kit and Billy Bush, of his life at the end of the “Dawson’s.” “Not literally, just I was tired. I was burned out. I just wanted to take a step back and kind of disappear for a little bit.”

Now happily married with a nearly 2-year-old daughter and 5-week-old son, the 35-year-old actor shared the serendipitous story of how he came to meet his now-wife, Kimberly Brook.

“I met her in Israel on an organized trip. I’d been telling a friend that I’d been single and I was ready to meet somebody. I really wanted to build a life with somebody,” he explained. “I’m telling [my friend] and someone interrupts me. I [thought], ‘Who is interrupting me telling my friend… oh wait – she’s cute!’ It was her.”

“She didn’t tap you on the shoulder because she knew you were James Van Der Beek?” Kit asked.

“No, she wanted to ask my friend something. And then we bonded from there,” he answered.

Catch James in his hilarious role on “Don’t Trust The B—- in Apt 23” – Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c on ABC.